Paying For What They Did
by Ivy the Wombat
Summary: Discontinued.
1. Mephiles' Whisper

Bright orange lava oozed from the charred walls of the cave, the heat coming off it in waves and making Shadow sweat a little. He peered around the dimly lit area, searching for any signs of a gray and blue demon-hedgehog. His eyes rested on the top of a black stone pillar, where Mephiles was glaring down at him, an amused glint in his cold, snake-like green eyes.

"So, decided to void your return ticket, now did you?" His voice seemed to cut into Shadow like knives.

Shadow pointed a finger accusingly at the demon and replied in a cool, level tone. "Why are you here? Did you ruin this world?" He lowered his arm and stared at Mephiles intensely.

The answer's yes… and no." Mephiles said, moving his head slightly from side to side. He raised his left arm and spoke in a subtly exaggerated tone. "Perhaps it's… better to show you."

Suddenly, an apparition appeared beside the pillar in front of Shadow. The black hedgehog, taking a closer look, realized what it was. He stepped back a few paces, a look of bewilderment on his face. A growing sense of dread was threatening to engulf him but he pushed it to the back of his mind. The apparition was of himself, unconscious and restrained in a strange, pink, cage-like container.

"Yes, that's you." Mephiles assured darkly. He continued on as Shadow still stared at the image. "After the world was devastated by Ibis's flames, what do you think happened? A search for the guilty, who did this, you may ask? Humanity wasn't just jealous of your power, they _feared_ it! They used this incident as an excuse to hunt you down!" Shadow stared at the ground, a contemplatively brooding expression on his face as Mephiles said, stretching his arm out toward the black hedgehog, "Come with me, Shadow! Let us punish this foolish world of humanity. It's only fair to give back what was intended for you. You have every right to want justice!"

Shadow's thoughts were becoming jumbled as he processed what Mephiles was saying. He just didn't know what to make of it. He thought that his war of humanity was over, that he would never have to become the enemy again. It was obviously never meant to be.

But, was what Mephiles said true? Or was he lying, trying to reach an even greater goal? Maybe… he really did want to help the black hedgehog.

He quickly dismissed the thought as soon as it popped up. This creature was evil, and Shadow was not going to go down that road again. He glared up at the demon defiantly. "That's absurd, whatever it is you want to do, you can do it alone."

Mephiles, for a fraction of a second, seemed stunned by the comeback, but quickly gestured to the pink image. "You forgive humanity this _folly_ then?"

"I determine my own destiny." Shadow concluded, clenching his fist in front of his face.

The gray and blue demon suddenly spread out his arms angrily. A blinding flash of light emitted from him, making Shadow maneuver instinctively into a fighting stance. When the light faded, what replaced the once mirror image of the black and red hedgehog was something a lot more menacing.

Mephiles' fur was dark blue instead of gray, and his dull, solid, gray-blue streaks were now sky blue and ragged looking. The tips of his quills and tail were replaced with crystals, and his hands were bony and he had rock-like claws. His feet were similar to his hands, and his eyes were a yellow-green with a bright red sclera and he had an ivory white muzzle.

The two glared madly at each other, hatred and loathing crackling in the air as they waited for the right moment to strike.

Mephiles flew across the cave, bouncing violently on the hard rock floor and skidding to a stop belly-side down. He cursed under his breath, getting up slowly because of the pain. He eyed the black and red hedgehog and the bulking robot hovering behind him. They made a formidable team, one that he couldn't take on in his current weakened state.

He momentarily lost his balance, regained it, trying to hide his embarrassment, and hastily produced a swirling time vortex above his head. He floated up and disappeared into the mass, reappearing moments later in present day Soleanna. The sun shone brightly on the beautiful, white washed buildings, but the demon paid no mind to it. He had to get away from the portal before Shadow and the robot got here.

He spotted the duo starting to drop out of the portal just in time for him to sink into the ground. He was about to panic, until he realized he hadn't been spotted. He mentally sighed with relief as he watched the black and red hedgehog scan his surroundings suspiciously.

"_It appears Mephiles is no longer here," _the robot suddenly droned in an emotionless tone, _"I will assist in pursuing him."_

Nodding, the black and red hedgehog continued to glance around warily, looking for even the slightest hint of Mephiles.

The demon chuckled as he started to distance himself from the two. The shadowy form he now was moved like liquid through the ground, easing him along in a fast paced manner. He could already feel his strength and energy starting to recover after the beating he had taken. He had to admit, underestimating the power of a super advanced robot and a genetically altered hedgehog was not the best idea, but now he had figured out a new way to get to Shadow.

Chuckling some more, the demon silently continued to formulate his next scheme.


	2. Omega's Confession

Seagulls screeched overhead as small sapphire waves made barely audible crashes against the gleaming white sand of the beach. The scene should've been peaceful and serene, but that was not the case here.

The sound of gunshots pierced the air as a bulking red robot fired from a gun in his arm. The target was Mephiles, standing helplessly as his body was thrown every which way from the bullets. Sharp waves of pain shot through his body, but he continued to stand there and be shot.

The demon grunted in pain and tried to ignore the agony in his limbs. He had a much more important task to fulfill before he retreated into solitude and regained his strength. He forced himself to say the words in a mocking and confident tone. "This only proves you were created to stop Shadow, the ultimate life form." Omega hesitantly withdrew his arm slightly, eyeing Mephiles warily. The demon continued with more gusto and a sarcastically sympathetic tone. "Don't tell me you didn't know. You may have been programmed by humanity, but what you did to Shadow in the future, that was your…"

The demon didn't even get to finish his sentence as he was bombarded with an abundance of ammo. Omega had reformed his hands into powerful guns and was loading everything on Mephiles, enraged by his insensitive taunting.

Pummeled to his knees, Mephiles laid back, laughing insanely, partly from the pain and the other part from another small triumph over another. He melded his form with the fine sand and disappeared from sight, already starting to feel his recovery taking place.

Two figures approached the shocked robot, one a white bat and the other a black and red hedgehog, both gazing at the empty spot that the robot was staring intently at, obviously confused as to _why_ the robot was staring at that particular spot.

The white bat, Rouge, was the first to speak. "What just happened?"

Omega remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. He mentally hesitated. _"Shadow…"_ He turned around and took a small step toward the hedgehog. Tension was thick in the air as the metal beast straightened his back and, if he were a living, breathing creature, he would have definitely taken a deep breath. _"The one that defeats and seals you in the future…" _Omega made a stiff gesture toward himself, "…is me."

The black and red hedgehog stared at him, his face composed of his usual cold frown, as this information slowly sank in. He uncrossed his arms and kept staring at the crimson robot, his icy glare unwavering.

Rouge broke the silence once again in a pouting manner. "It's… it's so _unfair!_ Shadow's always here to defend the world!" She gestured toward Shadow urgently, a slightly pleading expression on her face. "Despite that…"

"_Eventually, when something or someone is seen as too powerful… it is seen as a threat." _Omega turned toward Shadow and pointed his arm at him. _"And then the world becomes its enemy."_

Shadow had been silent during this whole ordeal, his face expressionless. His mind was in turmoil as he realized what the robot was telling him.

Always thinking of him as a loyal companion and formidable ally, Shadow had treated Omega as one of his greatest friends. Ever since they first became acquainted with each other, Shadow had come to think that Omega had a heart, that he had shared the feeling of friendship that the black hedgehog had. He knew now he had been foolish, overseeing the fact that Omega was just like any other robot, following its supposed master's orders and unable to think very much for itself.

Shadow turned away from the two and started to walk away slowly, his stance showing that he was very much upset. He was stopped, however, by his name being said. Rouge took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Even if you believe that everyone in the world will be against you, know that I will always remain by your side. Remember that…"

Turning his head and glancing back at the white bat, his mind still on the subject of Omega's betrayal, he uttered a sincere sounding, "I will," and then continued to distance himself from them.


	3. Simple Offer

Intense feelings of frustration overwhelmed Shadow as he briskly weaved through the sprawling city of Soleanna. He wandered aimlessly, at first hurrying, but he slowed down after about 5 minutes and just strolled dejectedly, keeping his head low and not making eye contact with anyone who happened to cross his path. The majestic architecture and the stunning scenery of the ancient city had no effect on his mood, which was darker than normal.

It was a strange thing to figure out that one of your closest friends is going to be your downfall, especially if you're immortal and didn't think you _had_ a downfall. Shadow thought about whether he should really be calling Omega a friend. He was just a heartless robot, a machine, built for destruction, not friendship. But the robot had seemed so much like one, the only other one being Rouge. Those two were the only true companions he had, and ever since Shadow had regained his memory, he was really starting to trust them completely, and now he felt like he couldn't truly trust anyone, like before.

Rock-hard claws gently grabbed his shoulder and he halted in his tracks. He glanced behind him to see Mephiles, his expression unreadable because of his non-blinking eyes and his lack of mouth. A low growl reverberated in Shadows throat and he ripped his arm away from the demons grip, the claws leaving small scratches behind them from the sudden movement. "Get away from me, you monster!"

Mephiles chuckled. "Look who's talking, Shadow. Tell me, do you really have a right to call me a monster when you've done things just as bad? It's not like your much of a saint!" Shadows eye twitched responsively as the demon continued. "Let's forget about that, though, Shadow. I want to show you something. Something that I deeply wish for you to see."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You're probably right. Why should you trust me?" The demon raised his eyebrows skeptically. "I think it'll make you rethink some things."

"No, Mephiles, I refuse to be persuaded to join you! Don't you understand, Mephiles? I have no desire for revenge, and I never will." Shadow blurted, shaking his head.

"Ah, Shadow. You never cease to give up, do you? It's not another gimmick to have you join me, I merely want you to see it."

"I don't understand Mephiles. If it's not something to urge me to join with you on the revenge of humanity, then why else would you want to show me?"

The demon ignored the question and grabbed Shadow's wrist, the two disappearing in a flash of bright white light.


	4. A New Decision

The sky was a deep black, like the ground. Lava and fire burned silently away at everything in sight. Skeletons of former buildings still reached for the sky, but they looked insignificant and fragile, reduced to nothing more than skinny beams of blackened steel.

Shadow glanced around and noticed that there was a lot more fire and intact buildings than when he had visited the future 200 years later. Perhaps this was earlier in the future? He looked down at his hand and noticed Mephiles was still holding it absent-mindedly. The black hedgehog yanked it out of the demons grip, making Mephiles snap his head up and glare at Shadow. Shadow glared back broodingly and huffed, annoyed. "What is it you want to show me, Mephiles?"

The demon merely pointed a clawed finger at something. Shadow directed his gaze to the spot in which Mephiles was highlighting, and gasped.

A black hedgehog trudged through the smoldering debris, tired and sweaty. He lifted a gloved hand and wiped his brow, the fabric black from the ash and smoke. Shadow was (again) seeing himself in the future, hopeless and defeated-looking. But, seeing himself roaming freely, that could only mean one thing.

The black hedgehog turned the other way and attempted to dash away as fast as he could, nauseous fear sweeping through his body and making him feel dizzy, but he felt an iron grip on his ankle and he rammed into the hot ground, still trying to get as far away as possible by crawling away, but his ankle was firmly held in place by rock-hard claws. Mephiles' deep voice was infuriatingly calm. "Shadow, you have to view this important event. Trust me, Shadow, I only want to help you."

Shaking his head like a stubborn child, the black hedgehog tried again to crawl away, but the demon grabbed hold of his other ankle and pulled him to his chest and turned toward the future Shadow, restraining the black hedgehog and forcing him to watch the scene that was going to take place.

The future Shadow stopped at a charred metal park bench, no doubt exhausted, and plopped down dejectedly.

Staring into the distance, the black hedgehog stayed sitting for about 17 minutes. Suddenly, a sound of a gunshot was heard, and the future Shadow was thrown off the bench by a single bullet, making the present Shadow yelp in surprise.

A hulking figure glided over to the black hedgehog, who was holding a hand to a small graze on his left shoulder. Through the pain, he managed to rasp a quiet, "Omega…"

Omega paid no mind to it as he wrapped his clawed hands around Shadow's neck and shoved him into the ground, pinning him down. He struggled and writhed, the lack of air making him frantic, but it was useless. The robot pointed his other arm at the black hedgehogs chest, it now being a powerful gun, and fired.

Blood spurted from the gaping hole in his chest and Shadow's body bucked from the impact. The white fluff on his chest was now dark crimson from the blood. The bulky robot stepped back and watched emotionlessly as Shadow coughed and spasmed, the red liquid flowing from his mouth and chest, making small puddles in the cracked earth. The hedgehog gave one final jolt, and went limp.

Omega scooped up the lithe body of Shadow and carried him away like he was a useless sack.

About 20 feet away, though, the Shadow from the past was staring off into space, a look of shocked horror on his usually cold face. He blinked back tears as Mephiles let go of him and stepped back a pace or two. The black hedgehog sat down on the hard ground and continued to stare absent-mindedly into space.

"You didn't die." Mephiles said, making Shadow jump. "That's why they sealed you away. You can't die."

Shadow stood up suddenly and faced the demon, a look of pure hatred on his face. "Damn it, Mephiles! I already _knew_ that."

The black hedgehog had said the wrong thing. The demon raised a clawed hand and swiped it across Shadow's muzzle angrily. The black hedgehog reeled back in shock as Mephiles glared intensely at him. The demon shook his head and turned away. "Don't try me, Shadow. I have a temper."

"So do I, Mephiles." Shadow growled softly as the demon sat down next to him. They both angrily stared off into space, glancing at one another now and again. Finally Shadow broke the silence. "I guess we're just both really messed up."

"For once, I think I agree with you." Mephiles sighed. Shadow remembered when he had went back in time and viewed the Solaris disaster first hand, how Mephiles had come to hate Shadow, and how confusing a paradox it was. Mephiles watched the black hedgehog intently, wondering what he was thinking so deeply about.

They sat like that for another 3 minutes, in total and utter silence, just thinking. Out of the blue, Shadow took a deep breath and stared directly at Mephiles, a serious look on his face. "Mephiles… I've made a decision." He paused, unsure, and Mephiles nodded excitedly. "Well… I would… like to join you in taking revenge on humanity."


	5. Assignment

_Artists Comments: ... Yep..._

Metal shoes scraped against the hard rock as Shadow the Hedgehog was thrown back full force, managing to stay upright by digging his heels into the cave floor. He glared up at the translucent monster towering before him, its neon shades of blue, purple and green painting its massive body. Slavering jaws lined with fluorescent teeth seemed to form into a scornful frown, and beady, feral eyes stared blankly ahead as the chaotic beast let out a roar.

Shadow sprinted around the monster, charging up a chaos spear and dodging blows. He hurled the bolt of energy straight into the beast' stomach, weakening it significantly.

Meanwhile, Mephiles, arms folded in a business-like matter, surveyed the battle coldly from the sidelines, his green eyes harsh and calculating as Shadow delivered the final blow and the creature sunk into a black, oozing puddle.

The crystalline demon walked over to the panting hedgehog. "Are you ready for more?"

The hedgehog shook his head.

"You aren't ready to admit defeat yet, are you? How pathetic."

Shadow's frown deepened and he clenched his fists. "How long must this go on? You conjure up monster after monster, making me defeat them with barely a moments rest! You know I'm already an amazing fighter, why make me do something constantly if I don't improve?"

"You have improved. Greatly." Mephiles assured. He motioned to a large part of the cave wall that was jutting out. "Break that with just your hands."

Shadow eyed him doubtfully, but complied nonetheless. He strode over, raised his fist above his head and brought it down hard upon the rock. He expected a searing pain and hardly any mark, but the result was something different entirely. His hand passed through the stone with ease, making the large chunk crack and rumble. He dashed out of the way just before the rocks could bury him alive.

"B-But I-" Shadow stuttered, staring wide-eyed at his gloved fingers.

"You what?"

"I thought since I was… ageless and immortal, my strength couldn't change…"

A hint of smugness flashed in Mephiles' eyes. "Immortals are quite extraordinary, wouldn't you agree? Your actual body didn't change Shadow, but your muscular endurance and strength did. That's another reason to punish those scrawny, weak mortals for taking us for granted."

Shadow grinned sadistically. "I couldn't agree more.

"If you don't mind, to set our plans for revenge into action, I'll need to test you on one last thing."

"What's that?"

"Your determination. You need to be willing to follow all of my orders if you want the humans to suffer right. You need to be willing to kill."

Shadow hesitated, a hint of doubt somewhere deep in his heart. He quickly pushed it aside and faced Mephiles. "What do I have to do?"

Mephiles handed him a silver chaos emerald, the perfect jewel emitting a prominent glow around the dim cave. An image flashed through the hedgehog's mind of an annoyingly familiar blue hedgehog.

"Kill him."


	6. Iblis Unleashed

**Authors note: I offer a warning to all you squeamish people out there (hey, I'm squeamish too, just not when I'm reading or writing) :D This chapter is pretty bloody and morbid. Character deaths, Shadouge warning, Elise stupidity warning, Sonic cockiness warning. Sonic fangirls be warned. This chapter is NOT for the faint of heart!**

Short, wispy strands of reddish-brown hair framed a perfect, porcelain face. Two sapphire pools topped a delicately shaped nose that led down to full, perfectly shaped lips. The chin was slightly pointed, but in a beautiful and almost majestic way. It felt like you couldn't get 17 year old flawlessness that could compare anywhere else.

It was the exact definition of pure, unaltered innocence.

That would soon be changed.

Shadow stared at the picture in his hand of the young girl as he perched in a tangle of tree branches, watching a certain blue hedgehog and an exact copy of the photograph sitting about twenty feet away. The grass in the small clearing was a deep, rich green, with small white flowers dotting the landscape. Overhead was a canopy of turquoise, fluffy cotton clouds lazily floating through the air. A light breeze carried scents of new leaves and the briskness of spring. The hedgehog was telling a corny joke, and the girl giggled shyly despite the fact that it made no sense and there was nothing funny about it.

It was the exact definition of a peaceful scene.

That would also change very soon.

Mephiles had told the black hedgehog that he had to kill Sonic in front of this girl. Princess Elise the Third, current sovereign of Soleanna. He remembered Rouge telling him about her.

Shadow smiled slightly when he remembered Rouge. He remembered when they were returning from a rescue mission (as in, he rescued her) and how she told him about Soleanna and all the other random tidbits of the city of water and how she rambled on for quite a while and he never really listened to the actual words because he was too caught up in the fact that all he really cared about was hearing the sound of her-

He snapped himself out of the memory. He should be focusing on the mission instead of pondering over foolish things such as… love. Mephiles had told him countless times that emotions such as guilt and love were irrelevant. That they dragged you down and weakened you so enemies could strike when you least expect it.

Shadow swore that he would never be weak again.

Sighing, the black hedgehog grabbed hold of the tree trunk and shimmied down, landing silently in the underbrush. He reached into his erm… pocket and withdrew a silver handgun. He lay on his belly and aimed it at the blue blur, shutting one eye as to get better perception.

He fired, and Sonic was thrown backward, blood exploding from his left shoulder.

Elise screamed as she was spattered with the red liquid. She kneeled over Sonic, his collarbone exposed and shattered. "Sonic? Oh my God, are you okay? Please, oh God no… Sonic…"

"Elise… What… happened…?" Sonic gasped in pain as his chest heaved. Blood seeped from the wound, and the princess was starting to rip off parts of her dress to staunch it.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay… who fired that shot? Oh my God, whoever it was, I think they're gone now… Oh please, I hope they are…"

As she was applying the makeshift bandages to Sonics shoulder and assuring him everything was going to be okay, she caught something approaching them out of the corner of her eye. She froze and looked up to find a dark figure that Elise thought very closely resembled Sonic holding a small gun and leering sadistically at the two.

"Hmph, a direct hit." Shadow mocked. "Move over, Elise, I have business to take care of."

She threw her body over the blue hedgehog dramatically, shielding him. "I won't let you hurt him!" She paused. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

_Is this girl stupid or something?_ The black hedgehog thought, confused and annoyed.

"You're a famous princess, Elise, a lot of people know your name." Shadow said slowly, so she would _UNDER-STAND!_

Sonic squirmed under Elise and whispered in a pained voice, "Shadow, is that you?"

"Of course it's me. What are you, blind?"

"Elise is blocking my view." Sonic moaned in pain as blood continued to stain the grass a dark purple.

Shadow rolled his eyes and pulled Elise off of Sonic, tossing her aside like a rag doll. He cocked his gun at him. "You ready to die, faker?"

Sonic smiled weakly. "I haven't been called that in a while. Say, what are you doing with that gun, Shadow? I didn't think you still used those things."

"Guns can come in handy sometimes, like when you want to get rid of the annoying people of this world. It never changes with you, Sonic. Always cocky, even in the face of death." The black hedgehog shook his head. "You're such a fool."

"Well, maybe I am, but at least I don't go around shooting others." Sonic got up slowly, holding his hand to his shoulder, his glove turning almost completely red. "Now, are you going to put down that gun and tell me what's going on? If Eggman put you up to this, because if he did, then let me tell you the same thing I always tell Knuckles. Eggman is a lying jacka-"

Shadow cut him off short by firing again. Sonic was jolted by the impact, and he knelt down in pain, clenching his teeth and holding his other hand over the bloody hole in his stomach. He coughed and more blood dribbled down his chin, soaking into the earth.

Elise yelped once more. She ran over to Sonic and gathered him up in her arms, the blue hedgehog to dazed with pain to notice.

_Well, this won't do._ Shadow thought. Mephiles had _specifically_ instructed him to not harm the girl in any physical way. _Oh well._

The black hedgehog walked over and yanked the almost unconscious blue hedgehog out of Elise's arms. He ignored her screams of protest as he stood over Sonic and unloaded the rest of the bullets in his face.

There was a deafening silence as Elise locked eyes with Shadow. Her dress was soaked and crimson, and her thin hair was tousled and damp with sweat.

That's when she screamed.

A scream so full of agony that it sent shivers down the black hedgehogs spine, and he almost felt sorry for the girl.

Almost.

Suddenly, he felt a slight rumble coming from deep within the ground. It got stronger and stronger as Elise continued to scream and wail. Then, an orange tower of fire shot out from around her, contours of golden flames circling around it. The sky darkened and strong gusts of wind blew every which way, forcing Shadow to kneel and cling tightly to the ground.

Mephiles appeared beside him, a crazed look in his crimson and emerald eyes. "You've done well, Shadow. Now, Iblis, go off into the world and wreak havoc on these foolish humans!"

Shadow watched as the flames spread out in the air like wild fire, charring everything in sight. The grass was now an ebony wasteland, and the trees were reduced to ashes in seconds. The fire and crackling roared in his ears.

"See Shadow? I knew you could do it. I could have done this easily on my own, but I wanted to test your determination for taking revenge. I liked how you prolonged the death, killing him slowly. I must say, I am mildly impressed."

"Mildly?" Shadow raised an eyebrow questioningly at Mephiles.

Mephiles chuckled. "Okay, fine. I'm superbly impressed."

The black hedgehog joined in with the demons giddy laughter.

_I've done it this time, haven't I? _Shadow thought in mock regret as he gazed upon the burnt bodies of Sonic and Elise. _Yes, I really have._


	7. Persuasion for Doubt

**Why are my chapter so SHORT? UGH! Whatever, this one is um... yeah. Cool. Short. idk.**

Shadow glanced coolly around at the burning city. Screams of agony and rage reverberated through the smoky air, blending with the whispering sobs of a sorrowful nature. As buildings collapsed and smoldered, people mourned over the dead and aided the wounded. Everywhere the black hedgehog looked, he saw the deformed faces of anthros and humans alike, distorted by the flames. They reached out at random things, begging to be put out of their misery, begging to be anywhere than in the scalding streets, covered in scars and burns. His heart ached at the sight, but he did nothing.

"Iblis has probably gotten to most of the continents by now. Soon enough, the whole world will be a fermented wasteland. This is all going according to plan!" The crystalline demon chuckled darkly. He then turned his head to look at Shadow, noticing the hedgehog's slightly pained expression. "Don't be remorseful, Shadow. Isn't this what we wanted all along? What we have worked for? All of humanity is suffering, and that is what they deserve."

The black hedgehog shuffled his feet and nodded, his ears drooping slightly, "of course it is."

Mephiles raised his eyebrows. "You seem _very _unconvinced. Let me help you." He brought a blue-clawed hand to Shadow's head, resting it on his right temple.

Shadow's eyes widened and glazed over, shock plastered on his face. He started to tremble and goose bumps broke out all over his body, causing his fur to puff out and look fluffy. The black hedgehog fell to his knees and breathed heavily, Mephiles' claws still clamping his scalp tightly.

"Stop, stop… NO!" Shadow mumbled frantically to himself as he tried to pry the demons hand away. The crystal shade let go and Shadow fell backward, gasping for breath.

"What… why… why did you show me that?" Shadow sputtered as he scrambled up and faced Mephiles.

Mephiles' expression was nonchalant. "You were in doubt. I had to persuade you somehow!"

Shadow frowned as he remembered the image Mephiles had shown him.

***

_Metal feet banged against the steel floor._

_Drip, drip._

_So much pain…_

"_Hey, the robots back."_

_Thump. Something hit the floor. More agonizing pain._

"_Awesome! Look at that blood. I knew Omega would get the job done."_

"_Well, we better start strapping him in."_

"_Oh shit! Is he waking up?"_

_Shadow opened his eyes and found himself lying on a cold metal surface, obviously the floor, with four blurry figures standing over him, one of them a lot bulkier than the other. Everything was blurry. And the lights were too… bright..._

_The hedgehog dragged an arm over his eyes, pain racking his body with every movement he made. A metallic smell hung in the air, making him scrunch up his nose. He felt so light headed and… sticky…_

"_God, man, how did he survive that? He must be beat…"_

"_He's the Ultimate Lifeform, he's a goddamn immortal."_

"_I know, it's just so hard to believe… all that blood…"_

_Shadow tried to move, but even more pain than he thought imaginable came in great heaving waves over his body. He hated being in this state, constantly being mocked at by these idiots who thought they knew everything, and worst of all, he was weak._

"_It's okay, Shadow, just go back to sleep…"_

"_Dude, don't talk to him!"_

_Shadow tried to ask them how they knew his name, but all that came out was a very mumbled "Hah ooh know ma-name…"_

_Someone shushed him and he felt something prick his arm._

"_Don't worry, that will knock him out cold."_

_They lifted him up by his arms and legs, which sent tormenting jolts along every nerve ending in his body, making him groan. They started to walk, and he was unconscious within two steps._

***

Shadow rubbed his forehead as it played in his mind over and over. "I've never felt so much pain… and I've never felt that… weak…"

Mephiles eyes glittered in anticipation. "Of course. The humans shouldn't be aloud to take advantage of you or anyone as powerful!"

The black hedgehog smiled maniacally as he looked at the suffering around him in a new light. They deserved to be punished for how they treat immortals! Thinking that just because they were powerful, they should be used as scapegoats, as someone to blame for all their problems, it was unjust, unfair. They should've been put in their proper place a long time ago.

"I take it you're better now…?" Mephiles asked.

Shadow nodded and continued to smile.


	8. Unsettling Discovery

"I would like to thank you again for saving me." Espio said for the third time as he walked beside a crimson echidna.

Knuckles just shrugged. "You're welcome, but as I said earlier, it's no problem."

The two were strolling aimlessly through a desolate wasteland, burnt trees sticking out of the ground and providing little shelter from the eternal night sky. Knuckles had just finished pulling Espio out of a burning ditch, sparing the chameleon from experiencing nasty third degree burns, and saving his life.

"How did you fall in there, anyway?" Knuckles asked curiously, "You're normally so careful about those things."

The purple chameleon shook his head sadly. "I was thinking about Vector and Charmy. They died because of the flames. Even though they always got on my nerves and drive me insane, they were my friends… and for them to be gone so suddenly… it's a big impact…"

The echidna nodded as Espio fought back tears. "Everyone has suffered from this greatly. I don't even know if any of my other friends are alive…"

Knuckles suddenly became overwhelmed with a sense of loss and hopelessness. Where was Sonic and Tails?

His thoughts were interrupted when the two came to a small clearing that was probably once a small grass field. They exited the weak canopy of skeletal branches and made their way across, silenced by their grief.

The echidna squinted his eyes at something about 10 feet away, two strange looking black lumps in the middle of the field. He stopped walking a couple steps in front of the masses, gazing curiously down at them in wonder. Espio walked around and picked up what looked to be a small handgun and, taking a closer look, realized it was empty.

"What is this doing here, anyway? Looks like a murder happened before the flames came." Espio glanced around suspiciously as he set the gun by his feet.

Knuckles thought there was something hauntingly familiar about one of the lumps. Something about the shape… why, it almost looked like a certain hedgeho-

Suddenly, he was seeing the charred figure in a different light. He knelt down and ran his eyes over the body. He could distinguish two arms and two legs, a torso, and a head with five down turned spikes protruding from the back, and it was definitely a hedgehog. The other one he recognized as being more like a human, but he couldn't for the life of him tell who it was.

_This can't be Sonic, can it?_ The echidna thought in fear. _It could be any hedgehog. It could be any hedgehog. It could be-_

Any hedgehog who was shot.

The empty gun sat on the ground next to Espio's feet. The chameleon's muzzle was pale as snow, possibly realizing the same thing that Knuckles was. Knuckles reached a gloved hand into a cavity of the body where the face should've been and pulled out a handful of bullets.

Espio paled even further. "This must've been Eggman's doing…"

The echidna curled his fist around the bullets tightly and blinked back angry tears. "He'll have to pay. He's probably the one who did all this!"

"The murder?"

"Everything!" Knuckles shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. "The flames, the suffering, he's the cause!

The crimson echidna smiled bitterly.

"I guess we'll just have to pay him a little visit."


	9. Crime and Punishment

_**Authors Note:**_**_ Thank you for being so patient. Even though I'm not sure why I have fans, I guess I should be thankful and just hope that you guys are not just reading my writing out of pity. LOL Yes, I do admit to procrastinating for three months, but I was in the writers hospital with a serious case of writers block and, since the workers at the hospital look down upon fan-ficers like myself, I received poor treatment and was deathly ill for days on end. Now I'm sort of better._**

_**Anyways, I experimented with a slightly different writing style this time, just to see how it felt. And let me tell you, it felt good. I might do future chapters like this, even though it might not be a noticeable change to you guys. I'm just pointing it out just in case you happen to notice.**_

**_Oh, and guys? Leave some HELPFUL reviews. I'm tired of the everyone just telling me I did a good job. How am I suppose to improve if people don't critique me? This story is far from perfect, and you guys need to realize that.  
_**

_Clunk, clunk, clunk._

A large metal monster was stomping through the debris of the city, its bright and eerie red eyes scanning the surrounding area.

Shadow shuddered as he watched Omega from atop a deteriorating building. The memories that Mephiles had shown him flashed ominously through his mind. He tried to push them away, to not let it interfere with his mission. It wasn't like the robot knew he had been the one to cause this apocalypse. No one knew. Except for Mephiles. But that hardly counted.

Sighing deeply, the hedgehog reluctantly jumped down from the building and landed gracefully, perching on a large chunk of metal jutting out of the ground about 10 feet away from Omega.

Wanting to say something, the hedgehog still wasn't sure how his tone of voice should sound. Confused? Hopeful? Relieved?

"Omega? Is that you?" He asked in a convincingly unsure tone with just the right amount of hope. He felt like he was walking on eggshells. Every moment was pure anticipation. Anticipation for the moment when Omega would turn around and fire at Shadow, repeating the nightmares the black hedgehog had been having every night.

This wasn't just some silly fear. This was pure paranoia.

He tried to hide the terror that he felt. His knees threatened to buckle, his heart thudded rapidly against his ribs, but he just did what he had been doing all his life. Sucking it up and taking it full on.

The robot turned slowly and ran its beady eyes over him. "…Scanning-complete. Confirmed. Shadow-the-hedgehog, ultimate-life-form."

Shadow relaxed slightly and leaped off. But he was still only slightly relaxed. He continued to keep his guard up as he approached Omega. He was really testing his acting skills to the limit. "I'm relieved I found you, Omega. It's good to see someone I know after all this time."

"What-is-the-situation-with-Mephiles? Has-he-caused-all-of-this?"

"No, Omega. He's actually on our side now. To try and find who did this. We actually think it might be the doctor teamed up with Sonic and his friends." He didn't even bother to tell Omega that Sonic was dead. They were all the same to Omega.

The robot clenched its fist angrily. "Eggman-is-behind-this. Mephiles-is-no-longer-a-threat. Will-trust-Shadow's-judgment."

The black hedgehog almost laughed, all his fear fading away. He was quite surprised at how all too easy it was. The plan had gone perfectly. Convince Omega that Mephiles and him were the heroes, and the remaining friends of Sonic were on the doctor's side. He almost felt bad for lying to Omega, his only loyal friend besides Rouge.

He almost felt bad. But he didn't.

After killing Sonic, he hadn't been feeling guilty of anything really.

And he was perfectly fine with that.

Shadow paused, a thought occurring to him. Suddenly he didn't feel so confident. Standing here, talking with Omega, it reminded him so much of…

_"Fine. With you it's always business."_

_ "So you did your homework, is that it? I'd say that's an invasion of privacy."_

_ "You're thinking too much, Shadow."_

_ "Even if you believe everyone in the world is against you… know that I'll always remain by your side."_

…Someone.

"Omega…?"

Omega swiveled his head around and looked him in the eyes.

He paused once more, then continued hesitantly, "H-have you… seen Rouge at all?"

"Negative." The robot replied monotonously.

Shadow's heart sank. His mind was momentarily void of almost everything that was important at the moment. Mephiles, the mission, revenge. All he was thinking about was his best friend. And where she might be.

Omega sensed the hedgehog's distress. "Do-not-conclude-the-bat-is-dead. You-still-are-not-positive-of-her-state-of-being."

"You're right, Omega. We should go and see if we can find her. Then we can be a team again!" Shadow felt a rising sense of hope. It was almost euphoric.

Omega wasn't moved. "Must-destroy-Eggman-first. Highest-priority-now."

Abruptly, the cloud of hope was blown away, replaced by the harsh reality of the situation. The black hedgehog was suddenly ashamed of himself for letting his weak feelings get in the way. Again.

"Right. Okay." He cleared his throat. "Omega, I need you to go and locate Eggman and any of Sonic's friends, and destroy them without mercy. Understood?"

"Affirmative."

"But not Rouge."

"…Affirmative."

Omega turned away from him and started to lumber away.

When Omega was a considerable distance away, Shadow felt a clawed hand clamp down on his shoulder.

He turned around confidently. "Mephiles, I did it. He's on our side now. I just sent him to…" He trailed off as he saw the demons furious expression, his eyes seeming to cut into his chest and burn like acid. Shadow instinctively took a step back. "Mephiles, what's wro-''

Claws sliced through his cheek, making him stagger. Mephiles glared at him menacingly. "I know, Shadow. I watched the whole thing."

Shadow was confused. "But I thought you were busy with something else."

"I was. But I never said it would take me more than a minute or two. I'm very efficient when it comes to getting the job done." The demon raised his eyebrows. "Unlike some people."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you making unnecessary conversation with that robot. And you having unnecessary feelings for that bitch of a bat you hung out with. I told you I saw everything."

Shadow sputtered. "Are you talking about Rouge? I had to be convincing for Omega! He knows I am, was, friends with her! She means nothing to me now, though, I swear! Do you hear me? Nothing!"

He shook his head, annoyed. "You are a dreadful liar, Shadow. I could see it in your eyes, and I can still see it now. You still love her."

"I don't..." He squeaked.

Mephiles raised his hand and a wave of blue energy burst out, hitting Shadow directly in the torso. The black hedgehog found himself on the ground a moment later, every muscle in his body sent into paralysis and Mephiles kneeling down next to him. The demon stroked Shadow's forehead gently. "You have betrayed me, Shadow the hedgehog, and for that you must be punished. I offered my services to you in taking revenge, and you abuse it. Take it for granted. That is almost unforgivable, but I'm willing to give you another chance."

Shadow felt strong arms scoop him up. His head lolled, so he was seeing the destroyed world around him pass by upside down. It made him dizzy, so he closed his eyes.

"I apologize in advance, Shadow. Your punishment will be… quite severe, but it's necessary in helping you realize your place. I beg you to not hold it against me, it will hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you."


	10. Denial

**AUTHORS NOTE: Hi. I wrote this. It's, um... yeah. Whatever.**

"I hope this is the right base. This Eggman guy has too many to count," Espio mused nervously, gazing up at the large pyramid. It was a dark looming figure that stood menacingly over them. Espio and Knuckles had decided to check every base that Eggman could possibly be in, and the desert area was their first stop.

Knuckles shivered slightly. Since it had little vegetation, the desert was only slightly affected by The Flames. The lack of sunlight had turned the sand cold, and the same hopeless feeling that the two had been feeling everywhere seemed to be here too, but magnified ten-fold. The lifelessness that the area possessed was almost unbearable, the wind chilling the duo's skin, as well as their hearts.

"I agree. I want to find him as soon as possible. Because I swear," the echidna clenched his fist, his amethyst eyes alight with fury, "I'm going to make him pay."

Espio looked over at him and nodded once, then proceeded to approach the entrance with Knuckles in pursuit.

"Looks like someone has already been here," Espio pointed out. The large metal door had been smashed open, and scraps littered the sandy tile underfoot. "If Eggman hasn't fixed it, that probably means he's not here."

"Still, we should probably check it out to see if there are any clues to Eggman's whereabouts."

The chameleon looked at the broken door with suspicion. "But what if the person who broke down the door is in there and they attack us?"

"It's fine, Espio. We're both skilled fighters so that shouldn't be much of a problem. Come on." Knuckles walked over and kicked down the remains of the door, the metal easily breaking away under his swift strikes. He then started down the stone hallway confidently. "We'll just find the control room and then get out of here."

Espio realized he had no choice but to comply, a feeling he was used to because he worked with Charmy and Vector so long.

The thought of them brought his spirits down, and he grudgingly followed Knuckles into the base.

After they wandered through countless chambers and passageways for a while, Knuckles suddenly stopped in front of a door, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Here it is, the main control room."

"And how do you know this?"

"I've been here before. The main control room is the most likely place that Eggman would be, and it will tell us whether or not the power is on in any part of the base."

"Well, I know that."

"Keep your voice down. I'm going to break down the door so we can surprise him if he's in there."

The chameleon thought that was a terrible idea, but he held his tongue, another skill he had picked up. The crimson echidna took a step back, and then rammed his fists into the door. It fell forward and took him with it, sending him tumbling into the room in an almost comical fashion. Knuckles rubbed his head, looked up, and froze.

A familiar pink hedgehog was standing on the other side of the room wearing a tattered dress and holding a small handgun. Her expression was cold and hard, and her green eyes were like two chips of emerald, stony and unwavering.

"Amy...?" The echidna was thoroughly taken aback, his emotions overwhelmed. To suddenly know that another one of his friends was still alive... it was magical.

Amy strolled over, her expression the same. When she spoke, her voice sounded like that of an older woman. "Knuckles, Espio. So you survived The Flames too, huh?"

They both nodded, still a little dazed from finding her. Suddenly, Knuckles' eyes widened considerably and he got up. His heart sank and he broke out in a sweat.

How was he going to tell Amy about Sonic?

She didn't seem to notice his sudden anxiety. "Why are you two here?"

Espio realized that Knuckles was distressed and came to the rescue. "We're looking for Eggman because we suspect that he's the cause of all this destruction. Do you know where he might be?"

Amy chuckled cynically. The two males briefly considered her mental stability at the moment. "Oh, he's not responsible. I actually disposed of him yesterday."

Their expressions turned quizzical and they both gave each other sideways glances.

"Yep, I shot him and threw him out the window. He was of no use to me, anyway. Although, he did inform me that The Flames are actually a fiery being called Iblis."

Iblis. That name rang a bell in the back of Knuckle's mind, but he was still trying to process everything else. Eggman wasn't the enemy. Eggman was dead (or rather killed). Amy was alive. Amy lost her sanity for it.

"But wait, there's more," Amy rambled as if doing a voice over for a commercial. "Iblis was sealed in Princess Elise III, and the only way he could have been released is if someone had made her cry. So that's what happened. She probably cried because she broke her damn nail or her puppy died, and destroyed the world for it. I don't think that's very fair for us. I mean, seriously. We suffer just because some random princess is having a horrible day."

Espio made eye contact with Knuckles. "Should we tell her…?"

Knuckles shook his head sadly.

"What? Tell me about what? Tell me!" The pink hedgehog was angry now, waving her gun in the air.

"Nothing." They both said in unison.

She held up her gun. "Tell me or I'll shoot!"

"Oh shit…" Knuckles groaned. He cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with Amy. "I-I'm not sure… how to tell you this… Amy, Sonic is dead."

Amy smiled sympathetically, holding the gun against her chest. "Oh, that's what I thought too, at first. But you're wrong. He's very much alive. And he's coming for me. Just you wait and see. He'll be here soon and he will get rid of all the bad things and Iblis will be defeated. And we'll get married, me and him." She stared off into space, seeing the hopeless fantasy. "We'll have a nice house and kids and the world will be back to the way it was. And we will die old, together, not even separated by death."

The echidna was fighting back tears when he realized that the pink hedgehog was a lost cause. He still tried nonetheless. "No Amy, he's dead. It's the truth. Sonic would have wanted you to defeat Iblis and live happily with someone else. You can do that. You can always have Sonic in your heart, but you need to learn to live without him from now on."

Amy just stared at him, her expression blank. Suddenly, her brow creased and she was furious in a heartbeat. Screaming, she said "I am tired of listening to your lies! You think you can control me? You think that I'm just going to be a good girl and believe you?" She pointed the gun to her temple, and laughed maniacally. "Well TOO DAMN BAD!"

The sound of the shot reverberated ominously off the walls, and the pink hedgehog was dead before she hit the floor.


End file.
